Life is Music™

I am a great believer in quality over quantity, therefore 2009 was a good year for me musically.  I hope the new decade is filled with more great music for everyone.  Here are my top nine concerts of 2009.  Minnesota ROCKS!

1. The Hold Steady at Basilica Block Party – Minneapolis, MN 7.11.09- Wow, wow, wow!  This show was a musical riot.  It was spiritual.  It was energetic.  It was a perfect summer evening.  When The Hold Steady play Minneapolis one can expect fireworks, but I didn’t expect this.  Standing front and center of The Hold Steady’s preacher, Craig Finn, as the historic Basilica of St. Mary church shadowed the crowd from behind is something I will never forget.  I have been a part of many rock concerts, but there are only a handful of shows I have witnessed that compared to this.  The band was insane and the crowd was dieing for more.  It was a fist-pumping, musical uniting, rock-n-roll religious experience for the ages.  This was easily a top 10 concert ever for me.
2. The Decemberists at Walker Art Center – Minneapolis, MN 6.20.09- 2009’s version of “Rock the Garden” was a great success.  It was a hot summer day but thankfully when the headliner, The Decemberists, hit the stage, the sun had finally surrendered.  The band wasted no time working straight through their gorgeous 2009 rock-opera album, The Hazards of Love.  The addition of Becky Stark who played the role of the beautiful princess, and Shara Worden who played the evil forest queen was priceless.  Their added theatrics made this much more than any old rock concert.  I witnessed poetry in motion.  Singer/songwriter, Colin Meloy, appeared to be having a blast as 10,000 fans rocked across the grassy landscape behind the wonderful Walker Art Center.  Once again the crowd was terrific making this an unforgettable summer evening.
3. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at The Turf Club – St. Paul, MN 4.15.09 – This was the most soulful concert I witnessed in 2009.  The former Drive-by Truckers singer and guitarist has been on his own for a few years, and on this night he showed all of the strengths of that experience.  Jason Isbell’s voice is pure.  Very few voices move me the way Isbell’s can, and I was fortunate to witness him at his very best this night.  His backing band, the 400 Unit, must be complimented as well.  They played flawlessly to a respectfully attentive sell-out crowd.  This night was beautiful, and leagues better than when they returned to the The Turf Club on November 20th.  That night they sounded tired.
4. Wilco at 10,000 Lakes Music Festival – Detroit Lakes, MN 7.23.09 – Leave it to Wilco to cue “The Price is Right” theme song before stepping on stage.  Wilco was the main stage headliner on Thursday night of the seventh annual 10,000 Lakes Music Festival in Detroit Lakes, MN.  Having the alt-rocking powerhouse band, Wilco, headline a night at a predominantly jamband festival had me a bit worried, but Wilco prevailed, even while being under the barrage of glowsticks at one point.  Although Jeff Tweedy is the singer/songwriter of the band, there really is no leader.  Wilco is a band, the very definition of it.  Each member is a master of their instrument and while a good portion of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with their work, Wilco proceeded along with their eternal professionalism and had the crowd rocking.  Most of the material was from their 2009 album, Wilco (the album), but they balanced their set wonderfully with songs from the past.  This show was fantastic, and added a wonderful mix to a wonderful festival.
5. Umphrey’s McGee at First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 1.31.09 – Night two of Umphrey’s McGee’s three-night run at First Avenue rocked!!  Just over a week after the release of their brilliant prog-rocking album, Mantis, the band introduced the new tunes with force while mixing in plenty of older favorites.  Friday night was for the rookies, but this night was for the pros.  First Avenue was filled with the hardcores, making it an amazing experience.  The night opened with the heavy head-bobbing “Push the Pig”, and ended with an awesome “Syncopated Strangers > Cemetery Walk II > Syncopated Strangers” mash.  This was an amazing night that shook the cold winter blues.  I’m grateful for the new friends I made this weekend.
6. The Swell Season at The State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN 12.5.09 – This was a beautiful show.  The Swell Season are made up of The Frames’, Glen Hansard, and Czech pianist, Marketa Irglova.  Together they won a an Academy Award for Best Song from a Motion Picture for the ballad “Falling Slowly” from the low budget Irish film, Once (a must see if you haven’t already).  On this tour they were supported by Hansard’s band, The Frames.  The night was mixed with songs by the duo, Glen Hansard playing solo, and together with the addition of The Frames.  They even included a nice cover of “Two-Step” by the Minnesota band, Low.  The State Theatre was the absolute perfect venue for this wonderfully moving show.
7. The Jayhawks at Basilica Block Party - Minneapolis, MN 7.10.09 – Seeing the Basilica of St. Mary gospel choir back up The Jayhawks on “Blue” while rain fell steadily is one of my biggest musical highlights of 2009.  There was a lot of anticipation for this show since the only other date the band reunited for in 2009 was for a festival in Barcelona, Spain.  It was unfortunate that it rained through most of the concert, but the packed crowd welcomed the music with little regard.  All night the fans could be heard singing along to the songs of these Minneapolis alt-rocking legends.  And Gary Louris’ guitar work impressed me more than I ever could have imagined.  I am very grateful to have been a part of this show.
8. Trampled by Turtles at First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 11.6.09 – There is no questioning that this band is for real.  Trampled by Turtles is a quintet from Duluth, MN who play their own brand of bluegrass.  On this night they were on, and the sold-out crowd that packed First Avenue to witness it were blessed with an amazing performance.  I’ve seen Trampled by Turtles a lot of times, but this night was special.  A Radiohead cover started things off, and from their they hammered through songs from their four albums and also tunes from their currently untitled fifth album which is due next April.  It was a great night to celebrate Minnesota, a great night to celebrate Trampled by Turtles.  This band deserves the success they are starting to see.
9. Dan Auerbach at First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN 3.7.09 – I am probably one of the only ones around who think that Dan Auerbach is better with his solo band than he is with drummer, Patrick Carney, as the duo, The Black Keys.  This show at First Avenue made me realize how great of a songwriter Auerbach really is.  He plays guitar like an old bluesman sitting on a front porch, yet with catchy bounce that is hard to resist.  His solo album, Keep It Hid, that he was touring behind is fantastic.  The band, Hacienda, acted as his band on the record and tour and they were very impressive.  The addition of My Morning Jacket’s, Patrick Hallahan, on percussion certainly didn’t hurt matters either.  This was a great show.  Dan Auerbach is a legend in the making.

10,000 Lakes Festival 2009

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 

Gomez – Gomez rules.  This was one of the bands I was really excited to see at the festival.  The crowd was relatively slim and while most were quite chatty with first-day festival energy, Gomez put on a very fine rockin’ performance.

Widespread Panic – With the day #1 crowd finally packing full the concert floor and most of the lawn, Widespread Panic headlined the night.  Their first set was nothing to write home about, but their second set brought the energy.  Still I have a hard time getting too excited over this band.  Jimmie Herring is a damn impressive guitarist though.

Kinetix - This Denver, CO rock band is led by a hip-hop singer and funky ass rhthym section.  These guys were a nice small stage treat after Widespread Panic.  I didn’t see it all, but what I saw was good and a whole lotta fun.

Pretty Lights - This set kicked butt.  Onstage was dj Derek Vincent Smith and drummer, Cory Eberhard.  Together they shook the entire concert bowl with electro-driven rhythyms and great mixes.  I was impressed.  

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Railroad Earth - Over the years I’ve heard a lot of good things about this band.  This was my first opportunity to see them and they were excellent band to bounce around to in the mid-day sun.  Rootsy Americana tunes is their game and they play it very well.

Mason Jennings - Umm, boring.  We’re talking a major yawner here.  And I waited through the entire set to ensure I had a good spot for Wilco.

Wilco - This was the best show of the festival and it wasn’t due to “the Price is Right” intro.  I talked to a lot of people up front who had never even heard of Wilco before, and once the music progressed I watched these same people rock their asses off.  The band opened with “Wilco (the song)” and ended with “Hoodoo Voodoo”.  In between was a lot of recent tunes with “One Wing”, “Bull Black Nova” and “Country Disappeared” sounding phenomenal from the new album.  The band was on all night and most of the crowd appreciated it.  Of course there were a few dipshits trying to ruin the party for everyone.  For every glow stick that hit that stage some little girl’s puppy died.  You stupid punks who were throwing those should truly be ashamed. 

Wilco will love you baby

Nels & Glenn of Wilco

Atmosphere – As soon as I got to the stage sprinkles came down.  I don’t know a lot about this hip-hop band but the section of their set I hung around for was fantastic.  The crowd was rocking as much as I had seen all weekend.  When the first downpour came, I tucked my camera under my arm and ran like Adrian Peterson.  I give props to those who tried to stay it out.  In the end a big set was cut way short due to thunderstorms.

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Tea Leaf Green – My first time seeing them and I wasn’t overly impressed.

Steve Kimock’s Crazy Engine – The band was ripping it!  I only caught a few tunes on my way to the main stage to hold down a front row spot for Trampled by Turtles but these guys were great.  Thankfully I heard the rest of their set from afar while waiting for TBT.

Trampled by Turtles – The boys from Duluth have grown up to the Main Stage!  I’m thinking the Field Stage would have been a better fit as this huge stage dwarfed the band but the crowd was out in groves and it was great.  They started off with a few jitters (can’t blame them), but as things warmed up their hardcore fanbase and new listeners gave them the support they deserved.  It was great seeing one of Minnesota’s finest treasures letting it fly up there on the big stage and it seemed to end far too soon.

Dave Simonett & Tim Saxhaug

Ryan Young & Dave Carroll

Erik Berry & his son

Widespread Panic - Hey promoters, why the hell didn’t Umphrey’s McGee have this headlining spot?  Seriously though, are you people friggin’ crazy?  Midwest represent!!  Although I’ve had some great times at Widespread shows in the past, their unchanging tempos, stale drumming and similar song structure is boring.  This set was just OK in my book, which ain’t saying much of anything at all.

Wookiefoot – This show was a load of fun and one of the highlights of the festival.  Although their music has never captured me, the stage show is the brilliance behind this band.  Everything from the lights, to the fire dancers, to the back-up singers, to the alien bugs on stilts makes this an impressively theatrical show.  The band pushes the creative envelope and delivers a positive message which in the end will always make me smile.

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Umphrey’s McGee - My love for the music these guys create is definitely not unknown, but I had a hard time getting into this set.  They seemed to be on a mission to destroy everything in front of them with some very heavy jams.  They played as well as they always do but it wasn’t the most festival friendly set in my opinion.  The sun was incredibly hot which didn’t help at all.  These guys need to be seen at night to truly appreciate, and put them in a rock club and it’s prog-rocking heaven.  They have one of the best light shows out there and that arsenal wasn’t even touched.  Hey 10KLF, main stage headlining with two sets next time OK?  Thanks!

Umphrey's McGee

Dave Matthews Band - My love for this band faded the day I realized quality beer was not available in 30 packs.  That didn’t stop me from checking them out though and I’m glad I did.  I had just as much fun watching their hardcore (and large) fan base enjoy themselves as I did watching the actual show.  Their “Burning Down the House” cover was excellent.  Even though I felt they cut it short (why not 2 sets?), this show was good fun.  It was also another gorgeous night for tunes and a fine way to end my 10KLF 2009.

With beautiful people everywhere, near perfect weather, friendly security and staff, this ranks very high in my 10,000 Lakes Festival experiences.  My only gripe was with the scheduling but one cannot control everything.  Next time make Umphrey’s McGee a headliner for the sake of everything good in music.  Then I shall return.

When it comes to writing album reviews, the natural precedent has oftentimes lead a writer to compare the new release to past releases.  In Wilco’s case this is not advised (or at least becomes an unenviable task) as the band has continuously reinvented itself over its 15 year run at alt-country/rock domination.  From one album to another a new Wilco often has emerged with a new lineup and a new sound leaving some fans moaning and other fans glowing.  This is not the case on Wilco (the album) though.  For the first time in their history Wilco has the same lineup as their previous album and with this the sound hasn’t changed much, instead on the most brilliant tracks the onstage chemistry and precision the current lineup possesses shines bright with accents of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born and Sky Blue Sky.

The album starts off very strong.  The opener, “Wilco (the song)”, is a rocking number that sticks with you long after a listen with Tweedy’s lyrics both immediate and personal, “Do you dabble in depression?  Is someone twisting a knife in your back?  Are you being attacked?  Oh this is a fact that you need to know.  Oh.  Oh.  Oh Wilco will love you baby.”  “Deeper Down” is number two, a mellow emotional song with Jeff Tweedy’s voice and a slide guitar leading the way.  It’s a fantastic tune that progresses nicely with interesting verse/chorus changes and great subtle drumming by Glenn Kotche.

“One Wing” is an analogy about breaking up and one of the best rock songs Tweedy has written in years.  Its lyrics are fantastic, “We may as well be made of stone.  We can’t be flown.  One wing will never fly.  Neither yours nor mine.”  But what really shines on this tune is Nels Cline’s guitarwork which is more subdued yet quietly richer than what he displayed on Sky Blue Sky.  This song is absolutely beautiful.

Taking a page from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, the album’s most experimental track is “Bull Black Nova”.  The song takes off with a piano based rhythm similar (albeit slower) to “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” from 2004’s A Ghost is Born and works into a noisy broken bridge.  The song is about a person running from a bloody murder and the instant paranoia that follows.  Tweedy paints quite the picture with the lyrics, “I wonder if they know, I’m in a bull black Chevy Nova, silhouetted by the setting sun?”  It’s an interesting song to say the least but it doesn’t blend well in the grand scheme of Wilco (the album).

From there the album moves into the first duet ever featured on a Wilco album.  Canadian singer, Feist, lends her pretty voice on track five, “You and I”.  It’s a mellow song of relationships and compromise and sounds like it was born on 70’s AM radio.  Track six is “You Never Know”, the first single released from Wilco (the album).  “You Never Know” sounds like a single as it pushes no boundaries, but with that said it’s a fine song with nice background vocals and a catchy line that repeats over, “I don’t care anymore”.

The album then slows down considerably.  “Country Disappeared” is a melodically gorgeous tune that Tweedy should be very proud of.  But next in line is “Solitaire”, a slow moving track of guilt that is the weakest song on the album.  Song nine is “I’ll Fight” and brings back the rock with a nice keyboard rhythm and a country tinged sound of the slide guitar.  Overall this song doesn’t go very far though with Tweedy’s lyrics repetitive and cliche.

The second half of the album finally comes back around with “Sonny Feeling”.  This is a fun rocking number full of 70’s pop-rock influence and not-so-subtle pokes at today’s subculture.  This should be a very fun live song.  Wilco (the album) ends appropriately with “Everlasting Everything”; a beautifully dark and fearless song about facing death in all of its inevitability.  Tweedy calmly croons, “Oh I know this might sound sad.  But everything goes, both the good and the bad.”  He has that one right.

Wilco (the album) obviously stems from sunnier times for Tweedy & Co. but it doesn’t run far from their previous albums nor the themes of relationships (both the good and the bad) that Jeff Tweedy has often written about.  What struck me most about the album is its mature mellowness that is somehow a long way from being dry.  With exception to “Bull Black Nova”, gone are the screachingly sonic Nels Cline guitar solos that could raise the dead.  Instead Nels is still obviously there, but as an integral part of the band’s overall sound and this pays off greatly.  The result is another terrific effort by one of America’s most consistent rock bands.

Wilco (the album)

Wilco (the album)
1. Wilco (the song)
2. Deeper Down
3. One Wing
4. Bull Black Nova
5. You and I
6. You Never Know
7. Country Disappeared
8. Solitaire
9. I’ll Fight
10. Sonny Feeling
11. Everlasting Everything

Wilco (the album)

Wilco (the album)
1.  Wilco (the song)
2.  Deeper Down
3.  One Wing
4.  Bull Black Nova
5.  You and I
6.  You Never Know
7.  Country Disappeared
8.  Solitaire
9.  I’ll Fight
10.  Sonny Feeling
11.  Everlasting Everything

On Wednesday, January 21st, 2009, the people at 10,000 Lakes Festival unveiled their “biggest announcement ever”.  Being a fan of the festival, I waited patiently for the news to come across the wire and when it did it left me scratching my head.  The biggest announcement ever was that Dave Matthews Band, Wilco and Widepread Panic were to headline the 7th annual festival held at Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, MN from July 22-25. 

In the past this festival has ebbed and flowed with its artist selections and it’s been my experience that the closer the genres, the better the festival.  Take for example the 2004 festival which mixed powerhouse jambands like String Cheese Incident with MTV faces John Mayer and Maroon 5.  This festival was a disaster and it’s no wonder the gods rained on us for three straight days in the middle of July!  In 2005 the festival seemed to have learned a lesson and booked Trey Anastasio, Widespread Panic, the Black Crowes, Les Claypool creating a much more fluid festival.  In 2006 and 2007 they stuck to that notion which resulted in even better festivals.  Those festivals were a blast!  Unfortunately the lineup for the 2008 festival slipped again when they mixed as headliners the artsy space rockers the Flaming Lips with political hip-hop musician Michael Franti & Spearhead.  The attendance was way down and I sat this one out for the first time.

So that brings us to 2009 and the “biggest announcement ever”.  Obviously the festival is banking on the fact that Dave Matthews Band has a huge following and has never played the festival, but I believe they didn’t look past that to the fact that Widespread Panic has an equally devoted following who for the most part are Dave Matthews Band haters.  Oh snap!

When I first read that Dave Matthews Band would headline a night, I envisioned thousands of bros slapping high-fives, giving chest bumps and chugging beer cans while thousands of Widespread Panic fans gritted their teeth with suspicion.  It’s been my experience that most (not all) hardcore DMB fans have a hard time seeing past the pedestal they have put this band on and have relatively closed minds to other musicians.  This is unfortunate for a smaller festival like 10,000 Lakes Festival whose crowds in 2009 will certainly be dominated by DMB fans.  I’ll be one of few sitting on the fence with one of the best rock bands in America, Wilco.

The super-awesome band Guster gave a great first-hand example of a Dave Matthews Band concert.  In the summer of 2004 Guster opened for Dave Matthews Band during a string of ampitheatre performances and in their road journal as written by drummer Brian Rosenworcel, they documented their experience at Alpine Valley ampitheatre in East Troy, WI.

“After our performance on Sunday, I needed to know some answers. Who were these people blowing off our 43-minute set, and what were they doing that was so much better than watching me beat my hands to a bloody pulp for their amusement? Two beers and one golf cart acquisition later, me and Joe and Chris set out to find out.

The parking lot is all gravel and grass. There’s a section full of chartered busses, a section full of limousines and their bored-as-shit drivers, and endless cars parked in a vaguely linear fashion (but not linear enough that there weren’t a few near-disasters on the cart).  There are people in the parking lot during Dave’s set. Not just limousine and bus drivers, but people like you and me, only drunker. There was no chance of being recognized as a member of Guster out there. Afterall, these people not only blew off our set to hang out in the parking lot, they blew off Dave’s set to hang out in the parking lot. Two girls who flagged us down for a ride (not into the concert, mind you, but to another part of the parking lot) asked “where’d you snag the cart?” The assumption, because we were doing donuts in the parking lot with a golf cart, was that we were not super-official, but thieves. Even when they noticed the credentials hanging around our necks, all they could think to ask was “where’d you snag the laminates?”

The grounds were in pretty bad shape… they looked not unlike the Hatch Shell after The Last Dispatch concert, not unlike some parts of Afghanistan, and not unlike our Earth Day Concert in 2000. There were bottles and crushed cans everywhere. It wasn’t easy to navigate around these obstacles, and a few times I had to use the brake. But as we were making our way into the corner of the lot, by a fence near the woods, things began to look uglier and uglier. Ridiculous amounts of bottles and cans. The quality of the beer was getting worse too. Did someone actually drink thirty cans of Keystone Light!? There were the remnants of ripped up lawn-chairs obscuring our path and random spatulas strewn about. It was darker in this corner than in other areas of the parking lot. I slowed down. Chris said “this is where you buy the crack.”

For someone that’s been on the road for nine years, I’ve been on the wrong side of the tracks a few times. Chicago, East St. Louis, Washington DC. Once I got chased by a kid with a baseball bat while riding my bike through a neighborhood I probably shouldn’t have been in in Des Moines, Iowa. So at this point, I am 31 years old, and I think I have my street instincts pretty well intact. I put the golf cart in reverse, and I drove us the hell out of there.”

With an eclectic mix of big-name talent this year’s festival will probably have its largest attendance yet.  I will be there with as much optimism as I can possibly muster and hopefully I’ll make it out without repeating the lyric that Kurt Cobain once sang: “Take a look at where you are, it’s pretty scary!”. 

The complete initial list of 2009 10,000 Lakes Festival performers can be found here.